112 Mr Milne on Earthquake- Shocks felt in Great Britain. 



1795. seen below this gloomy purple liaze, and farther contrasted by 

 the very dark surface of so extensive and lowering* a cloud, 

 formed a very striking appearance." — ^'I was fully persuaded 

 that this luminous appearance was occasioned by electric light, 

 with which I concluded the cloud to be highly charged." At 

 8 P.M. " every extraordinary appearance had now vanishej,!, 

 the night was dark and gloomy, the air quite calm and mild* 

 At 11^^ 20' we were all extremely surprised and alarmed at a 

 sudden blast (rather than explosion, because it had not that 

 sharp compressed elastic tone I annex to the idea of an explo- 

 sion) which burst out instantaneously somewhat below the 

 zenith to the W., and which, as I conjectured from the 

 direction in which the sound was heard, seemed to rush 

 through the air towards the E. with great velocity, and to 

 meet with considerable resistance to its motion ; for it made 

 a whizzing noise as it passed over us. At the instant the 

 blast burst out, it was '' accompanied with a very loud, 

 deep- toned, hollow, sullen sound, not altogether unlike a 

 deep groan." — " The first shock felt to me so tremulous, that 

 I could not form any judgment concerning its direction ; my 

 chair was shaken with a kind of vertiginous motion. The 

 second shock seemed to come from the N., perhaps a few 

 points to the W. of it." 

 Another gentleman at Derby, though he did not observe the 

 meteor before mentioned, "perceived at the instant of the 

 concussion, a remarkable coruscation proceeding from the 

 SW. quarter of the heavens, and producing a gleam similar 

 to a distant flash of lightning, but of longer continuance." 

 Many persons at Derby " felt something like an electrical shock." 

 Shortly after the shock, the air became extremely cold, the wind 

 began to blow from NE., and the whole country was covered 

 with snow.— (G. Mag. v. Ixv., 891, and Tr. R. S. L. for 1796.) 

 In mines of Derbyshire the shock felt, and a rushing of wind 

 perceived. The workmen " were so much alarmed by the 

 noise, and the sudden gust of wind that attended it, as to 

 leave their work." Clear that shock came from SW. to NE. 

 Same direction as earthquake on 30th September 1750 and 

 25th February 1792, and similar districts affected. 

 1796. 



Jan. 31. Comrie. Some sounds of earthquake during past week. 



Mar. 16. Comrie. Shock this morning. 

 1797. 



Feb. 8. Comrie about 7 p.m. Slight shock and loud noise. 

 ... 10. Comrie at 12^ 20' a.m. and 6 a.m. " The first awoke every 

 one ; I thought that we would all have been swallowed up ; 

 wind west. 

 ... 17. Comrie, Slight shock this afternoon, with noise. 



May 12. Comrie. Two shocks at night ; wind west. 



Aug. 24. Comrie. Shock at night, which was felt in Argyleshire. 



